Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

Picture Pearl Harbor: Beginning, Middle and End

Overview

Students develop their visual literacy by analyzing photographs depicting December 7, 1941. After in-depth analysis

students will arrange a collection of photos in chronological order.

Recommended Grade Range

Grades 3 to 5

Prerequisites

This lesson should follow previous discussions and lessons about World War II and the events connected to the Pearl

Harbor attack.

Objectives

Students will analyze a photograph, making observations about its content

Students will use these observations to make inferences and draw conclusions

Students will use their historical imagination and their knowledge of World War II to arrange the photos in a

chronological order

Content Standards

Connections to Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3-5.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and

when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3-5.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text,

including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3-5.9

Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Connections to C3 Framework:

D2.His.1.3-5. Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments that happened at the

same time

D2.His.12.3-5. Generate questions about multiple historical sources and their relationships to particular historical events

and developments.

Estimated Time

90 minutes (Optional two 45 minute lessons)

Materials Required

Photocopies of images

Captured Japanese photograph taken aboard a Japanese carrier before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,

December 7, 1941. 80-G-30549. National Archives Identifier: 520599

"USS SHAW exploding during the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor." December 7, 1941. 80-G-16871. National

Archives Identifier: 520590

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

"Pearl Harbor, T.H. taken by surprise, during the Japanese aerial attack. USS WEST VIRGINIA aflame." December

7, 1941. 80-G-19947. National Archives Identifier: 520594

74-20:1240 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. Hanger and plane destroyed during the

attack on Pearl Harbor.

Computer and projector to show examples of photos to entire class

Copies of Worksheet

Lesson Plan

Observe:

On a projector or overhead, show students a photo from the online collection. Ask them to use their visual thinking

strategies by verbally answering the following questions:

What's going on in this picture?

What do you see that makes you say that?

Describe:

The teacher should now model an in-depth analysis of the photo by completing Sections A and B on the Photograph

Analysis Work Sheet.

To encourage closer observation of the photos, students can divide the photo into four sections and look at one

section at a time.

Arrange students in groups of four. Give each student in the group one of the four photos for the activity.

Individually students should complete Sections A and B for their photo.

o This could be done in pairs as well.

Interpret:

Review the meaning of inference and that good inferences are supported with evidence.

Return to the sample photo on the projector. Ask students to help you make 3 to 5 inferences about this

photograph. Ask them to identify evidence in the photo to support their inference.

Ask students to use the worksheet to make inferences and find evidence to support their inference with their

own photo.

Connect:

Have the students discuss and describe their photo to the rest of the group.

As a group infer what the collection of photos have in common.

Ask students to arrange their photos in chronological order and write down the order on a sheet of paper

Conclusion:

As a class discussion examine each group’s timeline. Explore reasons for difference in chronological

arrangement.

Extension Activities

As a group students can conduct further research on Pearl Harbor and write a new article about the event using

the photos as illustrations

Students can imagine they are a person in the photo and write an ‘eye witness’ account of the scene of the

photo.

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

Photograph Analysis Worksheet Step 1: Observation

A. Study the photograph for 2 minutes. Think about the following questions: -What's going on in this picture? -What do you see that makes you say that?

B. Use the Chart below to list people, objects and activities in the photograph

People Objects Activities

Step 2: Inference

Based on what you have observed above list tree things you can infer from this photograph and evidence to support your inference.

Inference Evidence

1.

2.

3.

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

74-20:1240 | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. Hanger and plane destroyed

during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

"USS SHAW exploding during the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor." December 7, 1941. 80-G-16871. National

Archives Identifier: 520590

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

"Pearl Harbor, T.H. taken by surprise, during the Japanese aerial attack. USS WEST VIRGINIA aflame."

December 7, 1941. 80-G-19947. National Archives Identifier: 520594

Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

Captured Japanese photograph taken aboard a Japanese carrier before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December

7, 1941. 80-G-30549. National Archives Identifier: 520599